Education
Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum strives to educate children who are living in a post-apartheid government about their history.
Educational lessons are programmed for learners Grade 4 and Grade 7 and the topics range from Social Sciences to Local History. To learn more about having an educational program come to your school, email info@lwandlemuseum.co.za
Students will learn why the hostels were originally built and what the living conditions were before and after wives and families moved in. Through interactive presentations, the museum works to teach learners lessons such as state symbols, medicinal medicines, the museum’s artifacts, and more.
Term 1: Local History
The main aim of this programme is to teach learners about the migrant labour system and the terrible living conditions that migrant labour system inflicted. Furthermore, it allows learners to do their own comparison between the past, present and future in terms of the development of Lwandle, this programmes enables these young minds to be critical thinkers.
They also get to visit Hostel 33; the only remaining hostel that is still on its original form, learners get first-hand experience, appreciate who they are and have a deep understanding of where they are coming from.
Term 2: Hunter Gatherers
The hunter and gatherers programme focus on the first inhabitants of South Africa the San and the Khoi-Khoi, it looks at each one’s daily life, clothing and religion. Learners relate very much with this topic; some feel as if the life of these inhabitants are the life they get to experience in the Eastern Cape.
On this programme, museum presenters have to do their research thoroughly, get their hands on the smallest detailed as this programme is very complex and it needs a level of greater understanding.
Term 3: National Symbols
The National symbols programme is the most popular programme amongst all four of these programmes, this programme gives learners background information of South Africa becoming a democracy for the first time in 1994 after many years of struggle against apartheid.
They then focus on the CAPS-curriculum which is the National Flag, Coat of Arms, National Anthem and the five National Symbols, this year the museum added National Orders to the presentation namely; the order of Mapungubwe, the order of Luthuli, the order of the Baobab, the order of companions of OR Tambo and the order of Ikhamanga.
Term 4: Medicinal Plants
On the medicinal plant programme they look at the indigenous plants that were developed in Africa about million years ago, this programme consists of two parts which is theory and practical. Also, this year they requested the medicinal travelling exhibition from the department; this exhibition has been part of the indigenous medicinal plants programme for the past three years. They’ve also link this programme with the History of Lwandle; when the first men came to Lwandle they had no clinics or hospital in their surrounding areas, so they were dependent on traditional medicine and not clinical drugs.
The programmes are in high demand, the museum staff usually go and make bookings but there was a time where they were fully booked as teachers came themselves and make the bookings. The museum staff had to find alternative ways to accommodate everyone.